Creating a website that screams (or politely suggests) "Professional"

Welcome to the 21st Century, where you’re nobody til’ Google says you are. Make sure the internet tells people: “This company is terrific!” The most important, and actually one of the easiest ways to do this, is to give your website a tune-up. If you don’t have a website, well, you have work to do.
Good websites have a few key elements in common, none of which are too difficult to create for yourself.

They are clean and easy to read, with contact details right up front

They are user-friendly and easy to update for you to change and update without professional assistance

They have a responsive theme or a mobile theme in addition to the regular web theme

They are loaded with keywords, but not spammy

They look like a professional, not like a personal blog (even if they contain a business blog).

The design styles online (such as the logo, avatar, and header) are consistent with offline styles.

They are authentic to each particular business.

Simple, right? Maybe not, if you’re a beginner. Here’s some more information about the importance of each of these elements…

Why Drop Contact Details?

Your contact details shouldn’t just be on your “contact” page; they should be on every single page as a call to action. If customers have to make a single extra click to get your phone number, studies indicate over 80% of them simply won’t bother. Make it easy on them to make making money easy on yourself.

Yes, You Can Manage a Website

The days of custom HTML designs are over, unless you happen to BE a web designer/coder. With options like WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, and more, there’s no excuse for a site you can’t update yourself. Invest in a short course, one day workshop, or book to tune up your skills and you’ll be amazed at what you can do on your own.

Stay with the Times

More and more, the internet isn’t something people read from the computer—it’s something they read on their phone. In fact, it’s estimated that by next year mobile searches will outnumber searches made from desktops and laptops.
Most contemporary website themes take this into account and are “responsive,” which means they sense the kind of device the user is reading them on, and adapt to it. Older themes don’t take this into account, but you are often able to add a mobile theme which only comes into play when a cellphone user hits the site. Double-check to see if your site offers one of these options.

Strike a Good Keyword Balance

Keyword saturation is one of the cornerstones to the arcane science of Search Engine Optimization, but it’s not actually very technical. In simple terms, you find out what your website is about, and you use those words. If your site is about lawn care, get the URL YourTownLawnCare.com. Hopefully your business is called Your Town Lawn Care or something similar!
In the first sentence, use the words “lawn care” and the name of your town. If you want people to find you for your incredible ability to do a stripey lawn, use those words. Often. Put up pictures and (although it can seem like a pain) fill in all the different areas for metadata in,

File names: eg “lawnstripesinwhateverneighborhood.jpg”

Titles: “Lawn stripes in whatever neighborhood”

Captions: “Pictured: Lawn stripes in whatever neighborhood”

Descriptions: “Lawn stripes in whatever neighborhood by MyBusiness in June”

..And Alt Text: Text that pops up when you mouse over a picture, you guessed it, “Lawn stripes in whatever neighborhood.”

Search engines LOVE pictures. And a business blog is a great way to continually add content to your site (well, at least once a week for 15-30 minutes, you can manage that) and use keywords. It’s also a great way to position yourself as an authority and give out tips that make people think of you ahead of the competition.

Consider the Consequences of Ads

Tempted to make some poker money by putting ads on your site? Sorry to bust your Vegas dreams, but the rates paid by online advertisers have declined by nearly 80% over the past five years. And nothing, nothing makes your website look tackier than putting ads for other companies on your website. It looks, quite simply, like your business is failing and you’re getting desperate.
Thanks to algorithms, the ad networks will put ads for your competitors on your own site! Some free hosts, like WordPress.com, put ads on your site instead of charging for hosting, but they offer a $30 a year No Ads upgrade. It’s worth it. Buy it.

Design Prudently

Choose a color scheme that is not dated (I love dark themes, but they are very dated) and use professional quality images. There are many places online to get images for a reasonable cost or even free, subject to certain conditions: do a search on Flickr for “Creative Commons Licensed Images” and you’ll see literally millions of high quality shots.
People are very visual, so make sure your visual presentation is up to the same standard as your actual work. And make sure they are the same across all platforms: ads, business cards, flyers, brochures, posters, website, blog. Customers should know who they’re looking at when they’re reading your stuff.

…And Build for Yourself & Your Audience

Are you a lone wolf, with a rebel identity and a preference for Rockabilly music and tattoos? Then a straight-laced, bland site in corporate lingo may seem like a concession you have to make, but it’s not. You’re in business; you know that trust is the most important component of a client relationship.
If your website isn’t honest about who you are, you can’t expect to make a good impression when the client meets you. And there’s no shortage of Rockabilly-favoring, lone wolves out there who would love to do business with you. You, specifically. Make sure to put some personality into your site. It’s you they’re hiring.